# Humidor won't hold humidity (Tried Everything!)



## MichaelRyanSD (Jan 4, 2014)

So I did a lot of googling and can't seem to find out why my humidor won't hold the humidity. It worked fine, then it seemed like one month it went to crap. Now the humidity hovers around 45%. 

I tried buying new beads, I seasoned it 4-5 times (albeit with brita water)

I bought a new electronic hygrometer.

I even put two shot glasses full of water and it went up to 55% for a bit, but seems to be coming back down

Any advice? The glass top seems to be seated an doesn't move, and the lid still makes a solid seal.


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## Oil_Field_Medic (Dec 27, 2013)

Have you done the paper test on the lid seal? Did you calibrate your new hygro when you got it? Is it in an area that's succeptible to humidity swings? From what I've seen, the glass top may feel tight, but may not neccessarily be airtight. Some food grador, I believe, some aquarium grade silicone around the inner glass seam may not hurt.


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## Fat Cobra (Oct 13, 2013)

Do not store yoursticks in it untill you figure it out. In the mean time go to Wal-Mart and pick up a container made by ZippLoc that looks lick a clear Rubber Maid but it has a gaskit on the lid and also latches. Best $15 I have spent.


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## Milhouse (Oct 22, 2011)

MichaelRyanSD said:


> So I did a lot of googling and can't seem to find out why my humidor won't hold the humidity. It worked fine, then it seemed like one month it went to crap. Now the humidity hovers around 45%.
> 
> I tried buying new beads, I seasoned it 4-5 times (albeit with brita water)
> 
> ...


did you calibrate the hygrometer? try that. seems odd that even with 2 shot glasses of water it only went to 55%.

also brita water seems like a bad idea. Spring for some purified water. it's .99 for a gallon.


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## FireRunner (Jul 19, 2012)

Key factor you did not post: Where do you live? Climate matters. Especially this time of year.


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## MichaelRyanSD (Jan 4, 2014)

I'm in Anchorage AK where humidity is 90% outside, I didn't calibrate the electronic hygrometer, but the one installed on the humidor and the electronic one both say approx the same humidity reading.

By paper test, do you mean the dollar bill test. I read about it, but wasn't exactly sure what it is. I'm assuming it means if you can fit a dollar bill in the seal, then your lid ain't sealing right? Is that right or is it something else?


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## Fat Cobra (Oct 13, 2013)

Your wasting your time if you have not calibrated your hygro. The analog one never read correctly so that tells me your electronic one is off.


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## BlueDevil07 (Jun 20, 2013)

The dollar bill test is when you close the humidor lid on a dollar bill or sheet of paper and pull on it. If it doesn't move easily, the seal is good (if it tears, even better). Obviously try it with paper.


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## djjuel (Sep 22, 2012)

I put my humidors inside my coolidor during winter. Works great!


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## MichaelRyanSD (Jan 4, 2014)

I did the paper test, seems to have good tug on all 4 sides....


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## huskers (Oct 2, 2012)

What temp are these being stored at?

Also, did you wipe the humidor down with water at any point?


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## Gdaddy (Sep 20, 2012)

Calibrate the hygrometer. You don't really know what the RH is. You say it's 90% RH outside what is it inside?
Take the shot glasses out and replace with a damp sponge. Keep it damp. Provides much more surface area to evaporate water and is way more effective.
Use distilled water. It's really very inexpensive.


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## MichaelRyanSD (Jan 4, 2014)

huskers said:


> What temp are these being stored at?
> 
> Also, did you wipe the humidor down with water at any point?


About 72 degrees, and yes I did like 4-5 times.


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## six10 (May 23, 2013)

Do you have to open it to check the hygros? If so I would try to take a few cigars you want to smoke out and seriously try not to peek at the hygros for a week. It makes a big difference. This is what I do when the air is super dry inside during the winter. Another thing you could try is creating a buffer, like putting humi in a small cupboard above sink or something and put containers of water around it (or inside a cooler as someone suggested). I add extra humidifying devices in the winter too (beads, two boveda packs, sometimes a shot glass of water in a small humidor). I also run a small humidifier all the time during MN. winters that keeps inside RH around 20-25% as opposed to 10.


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## huskers (Oct 2, 2012)

MichaelRyanSD said:


> About 72 degrees, and yes I did like 4-5 times.


Well, not saying this happened but there is a chance it could have.

It's been said before that wiping the humidor down with water can warp the wood.

Warped wood and a good seal don't usually do well together.


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## Joe Bonzo (Dec 20, 2013)

90% humidity in <30 degree weather is going to be quite dry when you heat it to room temperature. Like others have mentioned, calibrate your electronic hygrometer. Try the salt test. That's a tablespoon of slightly damp salt (get distilled water!) in an airtight container with your hygro for 24-48 hours. It should read 75%. 

There's a great thread on seasoning a new humidor here on puff. Search for "How Herf N. Turf Seasons a New Humidor." I'd link it but my post count isn't high enough.

Some people wipe down the wood, some don't, but if you can't get your humidity up to at least 70% with a damp sponge or a bowl of water sitting in there for a week I'd say you have a seal problem. 

I got a humidor for my birthday a month ago and couldn't get my humidity above 55%. I did the paper test and found my sides were not sealing well, so I built them up with masking tape and tried again, using a bowl of distilled water (shotglass is too slow for me). Next day humidity was up to 90%! It's been holding pretty good full of cigars ever since around 65%, although I probably open it too much. I have a few gel humidifiers in there that I refresh at least once a week with distilled water and I've been going through boveda packets pretty quickly as well, but I think that's pretty normal for the first month or two with a new humidor, especially with cold winter air outside. I can't speak to glass top ones but I've read they can be tricky. 

Good luck!


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## GoMets (Sep 25, 2013)

djjuel said:


> I put my humidors inside my coolidor during winter. Works great!


What a great idea. I'm going to put my humi's in a few coolers we have laying around the house. My Coolidor is stuffed to the brim right now. Thanks


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## baddddmonkey (Oct 13, 2008)

I used to have this problem with my humidors. Mainly it was the climate I live in, and my apartment building. But ever since I went the way of the coolerdor, Haven't looked back. It has helped regulate temperature and humidity with slight fluctuations during season changes. I would suggest that if you are able to have the room or space to have a cooler full of stogies. If not, what another member said using a ziplock or rubbermaid container works really well too. That is what I used in between the humidor and the cooler.


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## Hog.A.NCSU (Aug 11, 2013)

huskers said:


> Well, not saying this happened but there is a chance it could have.
> 
> It's been said before that wiping the humidor down with water can warp the wood.
> 
> Warped wood and a good seal don't usually do well together.


Agreed. I did hear (YouTube I think) that if you suspect a less than perfect seal, wipe the corners of the lid with Distilled Water. Wipe more than you would for seasoning but not so much that its wet. Then leave it closed for a minimum of 24 hrs. The wood will "warp" back into a proper seal. I tried it on a cheaper humi that wasn't sealing as well as I wanted it to. Worked wonderfully! Good luck!


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## Boinargly (Jan 8, 2014)

I think most of my Habanos smoke better at about 62-63%, so I keep them there in a seperate humidor. Aging would be the same.


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## Fuzzy (Jun 19, 2011)

You could move to a swamp near me where the outside ambient RH has only been below 80% for a few hours in the month or so.

It is 66° and the ambient RH is hovering at 90%. Maybe I should start a humidor seasoning service.


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## Milhouse (Oct 22, 2011)

so did you calibrate the hygrometer yet?


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## 1985_CarbStang (Jan 8, 2014)

I've become a believer in the flashlight test in a pitch black room. Has helped me find some major humidity leaks near the hinges on the back near the hinges. Passed a dollar bill test with ease but until I used some food grade silicone to hit some major openings I had nothing but problems.


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## MichaelRyanSD (Jan 4, 2014)

So an update, it wasn't my hygro ( I used a calibration kit). Not sure what it could be at this point, I ended up ordering a new humidor to accommodate a larger collection. I've got the RH up to like 63-64, but really thats only because I have two shot glasses and a glycol based container in there.


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## deke (Aug 19, 2013)

six10 said:


> Do you have to open it to check the hygros? If so I would try to take a few cigars you want to smoke out and seriously try not to peek at the hygros for a week. It makes a big difference. This is what I do when the air is super dry inside during the winter. Another thing you could try is creating a buffer, like putting humi in a small cupboard above sink or something and put containers of water around it (or inside a cooler as someone suggested). I add extra humidifying devices in the winter too (beads, two boveda packs, sometimes a shot glass of water in a small humidor). I also run a small humidifier all the time during MN. winters that keeps inside RH around 20-25% as opposed to 10.


I was having trouble when this very cold winter hit in a small (~40-50 humi). Added shotglass of distilled water to what I already had -- it is holding steady at 68-69%. Was gone on a cruise for 10 days in subzero temps at home. Came back -- was 69%. Shot glass comes out when it warms up....


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## stonecutter2 (Jul 12, 2012)

MichaelRyanSD said:


> So an update, it wasn't my hygro ( I used a calibration kit). Not sure what it could be at this point, I ended up ordering a new humidor to accommodate a larger collection. I've got the RH up to like 63-64, but really thats only because I have two shot glasses and a glycol based container in there.


I think your Spanish cedar was very dry. Give it more time and put a new, clean sponge in there moistened with distilled water, resting on a plastic baggie. That will quickly push the humidity up. Or leave things as they are now and with time you'll get it where you want it.


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## Regiampiero (Jan 18, 2013)

You mentioned that you seasoned it, but also that the RH goes up when you put a shot glass of water in it. How exactly dd you seasoned it and for how long? It just seems to me that the humidor isn't seasoned yet and that is why the RH is spiking. Grab a large shallow bowl, place a couple of fingers of distilled water (Not brita water) in it and place a clean (new) sponge in the water so that the sponge is at least half exposed. The capillary action of the sponge combined with the large surface area of the sponge's pores seasons a humidor very quickly and very reliably. If you just place a glass of water in it the only surface area that the water can evaporate from is the cross sectional area of the glass, which isn't much.

Also you broke rule number one and number two of humidor seasoning. 
1. Only use "Distilled" water because all other water types have minerals that could ruin the cedar's ability to retain/release moisture. 
2. Never wipe the interior of the humidor with a wet cloth to season it because that can warp the wood or even worst promote mold growth. You should only wipe the humidor with a lightly damp cloth for cleaning purposes. 

Hope this helps.


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